Alchemy

by Margaret Mahy
Alchemy  
published 2004 by Simon Pulse
binding Paperback
isbn 0689850549   (isbn13: 9780689850547)
pages 224
description

What happens when a class assignment becomes a war of magic versus free will?

When Roland's teacher gives him an unusual assignment instead of...more

date added
02-01-07



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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 45)



Jarrah
02/03/08

bookshelves: author-margaretmahy, broadgenre-ya, cliche-spells, country-newzealand, genre-yafantasy, setting-realworld
Read in December, 2007
YA fantasy. When charming, intelligent highschool student Roland inexplicably commits a petty crime, he finds himself blackmailed by a favourite teacher into befriending misfit Jess Ferret. But Jess has her own problems, and they're bigger and darker than Roland could have imagined.

I loved this book. I knew I loved it from the first page. It opened with a dream sequence, and I still loved it. There are things about Mahy's style that don't work for me: in particular, the dialogue, alth...more
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Christina
bookshelves: childrens-youngadult
Read in January, 2008
I checked this book out of the library solely because of this sentence in the book jacket description that cracked me up:

"Why has a shady magician from Roland's past suddenly come back into his life?"

Turned out to be a pretty good book, as far as YA goes, one of those "realizing one's magical powers of being in extreme harmony with the universe whilst realizing girl you never talked to in school who's all into books about alchemy is actually sort of hot in her own intelligent-...more
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Wealhtheow
Wealhtheow rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
11/16/07

bookshelves: fantasy, ya
Read in October, 2007
Roland’s teacher blackmails him into spying on his classmate, the solitary and faintly mysterious Jessica Ferret. Roland and Jess strike up an unlikely alliance that gradually shifts as Roland grows ever more dissatisfied with his pretence at a normal life. As their friendship deepens, rival magicians close in on them. It’s a slightly psychedelic YA novel that deals with teenage identities and family more than magic.
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Mara
01/31/08

bookshelves: fantasy, magic, ya
When I picked up this book, I knew I had read it before, but I couldn't remember a single thing about it, as opposed to The Changeover, also by Mahy, about which I can remember much of the plot, but never the name of the book (although I suppose I've fixed that now, haven't I?). That I found this book completely forgettable the first time around, and not much better the second, probably tells you everything you need to know.
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Belmanoir
Belmanoir rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
07/03/07

Read in July, 2007
I enjoyed this...I love the trend I'm seeing in young adult novels to show accurately the hidden nastiness and irrationality that is so much a part of being a teenager AND a person. When I was a kid it seemed like YA novels were much more...G-rated, I guess, in terms of character motivation. Anyway. I liked this book and I am excited for Maddigan's Fantasia when it finally comes out (is reissued?) in the US.
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Becca
Becca rated it: 2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars
07/09/08

So I got this book by accident. A couple of people recommended The Alchemist to me, and I forgot the exact title and so reserved a copy of this book instead. And I read it and wasn't that impressed, but figured out I had the wrong book. This book is a magic teenage genre that's fun, but not deserving the rave reviews other people had given it (or so I thought).
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Amanda
Amanda rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
06/01/08

The best fantasy (and fantastic realism) starts with people and situations that are completely normal and straightforward (for the time/place) and slowly draw you in to the story. Then when things get wild, you are grounded in the character's world views. I rate Margaret Mahy very highly.
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Nissa'
Nissa' added it
01/21/08

bookshelves: english
tak habis pun lagi.hehe
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Kelley
03/28/08

bookshelves: mystery
 

Willie
Willie rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
10/04/07

 

Mary-Beth
Mary-Beth marked it as to-read
12/07/07

bookshelves: to-read
 

Emma
Emma rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
05/18/07

Read in April, 2005
 

Amy Lee
Amy marked it as to-read
06/24/08

bookshelves: to-read
 

Sarah
Sarah rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
03/01/08

 

Chelle
Chelle marked it as to-read
02/01/07

bookshelves: to-read
 

katayoun
katayoun rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
01/28/08

bookshelves: fantasy
 

Princessjay
Princessjay rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
04/20/08

bookshelves: sci-fi-fantasy
 

Sarah
Sarah rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
10/14/07

 

ley
ley rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
02/25/08

 


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book data (includes all editions)

avg rating (all editions): 3.59 (32 ratings)
avg rating (this edition): 3.50 (26 ratings)
number of reviews: 8






other editions

Alchemy (Hardcover)
Alchemy (Collins Flamingo)
Alchemy (Hardcover)